Gordy Dodd, who has operated Dodd’s Furniture in Victoria for decades and also has stores in Nanaimo and Campbell River, saw his company honoured as Business of the Year for firms with 50 or more employees, at the annual Business Excellence Awards in Victoria on Thursday. Photo contributed

Gordy Dodd is well known around Vancouver Island for his humorous TV ads in which he pokes good-natured fun at himself with the tagline, “We won’t be undersold.”

His Victoria-based business, Dodd’s Furniture, has developed an equally well-known reputation through its stores on the South Island, Nanaimo and Campbell River. The company’s attention to service, sales and community involvement was rewarded Thursday at the 18th Annual Vancouver Island Business Excellence Awards, as Dodd’s was named Business of the Year among companies with 50 employees or more.

Joining Dodd’s on the podium at the Delta Ocean Pointe Resort and Spa was Saanich-based Balance Home Cleaning, which took home the Small Business of the Year award (less than 50 employees).

Winners in the 15 industry categories were:

Automotive: Harris Mazda of Nanaimo

Construction/Development & Real Estate: Alair Homes of Nanaimo

Entrepreneur: Coco Café of Cedar

Food & Food Production: Riot Brewing of Chemainus

Health Care: Comfort Keepers of Victoria

Hospitality: Brentwood Bay Resort & Spa of Brentwood Bay

Industrial Manufacturer: VMAC of Nanaimo

Manufactured Wood Products: Creative Woodcraft of Cobble Hill

Ocean Products: Saltwest Naturals of Sooke

Professional: Engaged HR of Victoria

Restaurant: Big Wheel Burger of Victoria

Retail: Close To You Ladies Fashion & Lingerie of Parksville

Technology: Freshworks Studio of Victoria

Tourism: Eagle Wing Tours of Victoria

Trades: Mazzei Electric of Nanaimo

There were two Award of Merit runner-up winners named as well, Coulson Ice Blast of Port Alberni in Industrial Manufacturer, and Kwa’Lilas Hotel in Port Hardy in Hospitality.

Black Press was a Platinum Sponsor of the BE Awards this year, and RBC Royal Bank, Grant Thornton LLP, Shaw and Liquid Capital West Coast Financing Corp. were the event’s Gold Sponsors. Category sponsors were Coastal Community Credit Union, Helijet, Island Savings Credit Union, Grieg Seafood, Invest Comox Valley and BE Digital.

Mattias Peemoeller and his crew at Balance Home Cleaning walked away from the Business Excellence Awards on Thursday with the Best Small Business honours, for companies with less than 50 employees. Photo by Joshua Lawrence Studios